Massive escalation in Samajwadi Party face-off: Akhilesh expels Shivpal, three others from UP Cabinet

In a major twist to the entire Samajwadi Party family tussle, Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday expelled state party president Shivpal Yadav from the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet.

New Delhi: In a major twist to the entire Samajwadi Party family tussle, Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday expelled state party president and uncle Shivpal Yadav from the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet.  

As per the report, three other ministers were also sacked from the Cabinet today.

Mainpuri MLA Raju Yadav, who was among the expelled ministers, confirmed the report and said, "CM Akhilesh Yadav said in the meeting that whoever is close to Amar Singh cannot be in my Cabinet."

FLASH: UP CM Akhilesh Yadav sacks 4 ministers including Shivpal Yadav and OP Singh from the cabinet — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 23, 2016

CM said in the meeting that whoever is close to Amar Singh cannot be in my cabinet: Raju Yadav, Mainpuri MLA pic.twitter.com/cAwFsK69dM

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 23, 2016

According to sources, CM Akhilesh is likely to expel all other ministers who are said to be close to Shivpal and are in support of Amar Singh. 

Meanwhile, Shivpal Yadav, who has been shown the door twice in two months by his nephew, rushed to party patriarch Mulayam Singh's New Delhi residence, minutes after reports of his expulsion from the Cabinet came in.

Earlier today, CM Akhilesh had called a meeting of MLAs and MLCs at his residence, however, legislators considered too close to state party chief Shivpal Yadav were not invited for the de-facto legislature party meeting. The announcement to sack ministers from the Cabinet came in after the meeting.

According to sources, neither Shivpal Singh Yadav, who is an MLA from Jaswantnagar, was invited to the meeting nor many of the legislators who support him. 

On Friday, Shivpal had personally gone to invite Akhilesh for the two-day district presidents' meet of the party which the Chief Minister chose to skip and instead called some of them to his official residence for a chat.

Political observers here feel that the infighting in the party has come to a situation of no return and that days to come would be turbulent, both for the party and the state.

In an another twist, Samajwadi Party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav today wrote a one-page letter addressed to party workers saying the future of the ruling party lay in the hands of Akhilesh Yadav. 

Ram Gopal, who wrote the letter to the party cadres, openly backed his nephew and CM Akhilesh and declared him as a clear worker. In the letter, he also urges his party workers to defeat Akhilesh's rivals. 

"Jahan Akhilesh, Wahan Vijay (victory follows Akhilesh)," the SP supremo's cousin and party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav's letter read while asking the party workers to 'tighten the screw of Akhilesh's rivals'. 

The letter was released just a few hours ahead of the party meeting called by Akhilesh.

Yesterday, party veterans met SP veteran Mulayam Singh at his residence to find some solution in what is now becoming an unending feud in the party's top leadership.

However, sources claimed that they failed to pacify Mulayam Singh Yadav who is "extremely hurt" at the rebellion of his son Akhilesh and "crude protests" by his supporters. 

Leaders who met Mulayam on Saturday -- Beni Prasad Verma, Reoti Raman Singh and Naresh Agarwal, later told mediapersons that any disrespect shown towards Mulayam will not be tolerated at any cost.

Hours later, Udayveer Singh, a party MLC was shown the door and expelled from the party for six years. Udayveer's expulsion from the party came after he accused Mulayam Singh`s second wife of being part of a conspiracy against Akhilesh Yadav.

Singh, who is a member of the legislative council, also attacked state Samajwadi Party chief and Mulayam Singh`s brother Shivpal Yadav for being the `political front` of the Chief Minister`s stepmother.

Singh's expulsion from the party aggravated the situation as most leaders close to Akhilesh have been thrown out of the party after Shivpal Yadav tookover as the state party chief in September this year.